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Overview

A high school senior attempts to salvage her reputation among her Ivy League–obsessed classmates by writing their college admissions essays and in the process learns big truths about herself in this mesmerizing debut novel-in-verse, perfect for fans of Gayle Forman and Sonya Sones.

Nic Chen refuses to spend her senior year branded as the girl who cheated on her charismatic and lovable boyfriend. To redefine her reputation among her Ivy League–obsessed classmates, Nic begins writing their college admissions essays.

But the more essays Nic writes for other people, the less sure she becomes of herself, the kind of person she is, and whether her moral compass even points north anymore.

Provocative, brilliant, and achingly honest, 500 Words or Less explores the heartbreak and hope that marks the search for your truest self.

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Product Details

About the Author

Juleah del Rosario wants you to know that she grew up outside of Seattle on the eastside. She currently lives in a book- and mountain-filled existence as a librarian in Colorado. She is Chamorro and Filipina. Most importantly, she wants you to know that you are loved and you are whole.

Editorial Reviews

06/25/2018In this moving novel in verse, Nic Chen agrees to write her classmates’ college essays for a price and becomes not only her peers’ accidental biographer but also a vessel for many of their secrets. Through Nic’s poetic narration and essays, debut author del Rosario unearths the profound range of emotions buried underneath the surface in a class of high school students—grief about a parent who left, hope of becoming someone who is “more than a football player,” pain of walking down the school hallways while being the object of cruel gossip. Nic carries her own percolating well of loss, too: of her mother, who left; of her ex, Ben, who transferred after she cheated; and of her classmates’ respect following the incident (“whore” is written in lipstick across her locker in one scene). Del Rosario’s poems are accessible, and Nic proves herself a keen observer of the world around her, an adept interrogator of her own self, and a philosopher who considers how and why life happens the way it does. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brent Taylor, Triada U.S. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

This compelling novel in verse encourages deep thought and conversation. Fans of Perfect by Ellen Hopkins will devour this timely and addictive read.” —School Library Journal

“Del Rosario’s poems are accessible, and Nic proves herself a keen observer of the world around her, an adept interrogator of her own self, and a philosopher who considers how and why life happens the way it does.” —Publishers Weekly

“Juleah Del Rosario is an important new voice in YA lit.” —Judy Zuckerman, Brooklyn Public Library

From the Publisher

07/01/2018Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Nic Chen is Chinese and white, and struggling with issues of race, class, and gender double standards in the affluent community of Meydenbauer. This is a town where Ivy League acceptance letters are a minimal expectation, and the microaggressions experienced by people of color are eagerly swept under the rug to comfort the sensibilities of white elites. After cheating on her boyfriend, Nic is a social outcast with only her best friend, Kitty, taking her side. Nic's talent for writing serves as a lifeline to redeem her. The catch: she must write winning college admissions letters for her classmates. The price: $300 and fragments of her moral compass. Nic is able to take the lived experiences of her classmates and write essays in 500 words or less that speak to something deeper in the human spirit. As she churns out essays, she has to search her own soul as well as those of her friends. It's not the money she craves, but a very specific void that she's trying to fill. This compelling novel in verse encourages deep thought and conversation. VERDICT Fans of Perfect by Ellen Hopkins will devour this timely and addictive read.—Christina Vortia, Hype Lit, Land O'Lakes, FL

School Library Journal

2018-06-18A high school senior tries to move past her betrayal of her boyfriend and the disappearance of her mother.Branded a whore after an alcohol-fueled hookup with her boyfriend's best friend and desperate to "...for a moment / be someone / other than / that girl," Nic Chen agrees to write the college essays of classmates at her competitive high school. She understands the power of the spare, stripped-down vignette, and in learning and writing the stories of the valedictorian, the artist, the quarterback, and the mean girl, Nic starts to find her own story too. There's a lot going on here, and the boyfriend comes and goes in such fleeting moments that it's hard to empathize with Nic's stated sense of loss. Debut author del Rosario only begins to unpack the complexity of Nic's relationships with her runaway white mother and her emotionally distant Chinese father and her identity as their biracial daughter in a largely wealthy, largely white Seattle-area community. Add in an extensive cast of classmates and a few loyal friends whose stories aren't told, and the impact of the whole is perhaps less than the sum of its parts. Still, the author, like Nic, knows the weight of "emotionally raw" experiences, and, in poignant verse, the moments of anguish, loneliness, and hope ring true.As one of the characters describes Nic: beautiful but not perfect. (Novel in verse. 14-18)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

When I added this to my TBR I didn't know it was a novel in verse. When I found out it was, I wasn't exactly thrilled. I'm not a fan of novels in verse, but I think 2018 is trying to tell me to give these books a try. Almost every one I've read this year (this one included) I've really loved.
Nic Chen hasn't had an easy summer, so she tries to take her name back and not become the girl who JUST cheated on her boyfriend. To do so, she has the idea to help all her classmates get into Ivy League schools by writing their college admission essays. But the more she helps people, the more she sees that everything isn't what she thought it would turn out to be.
Although I liked this one, I wasn't sure a novel in verse was the best way to tell this story. It kind of felt a little choppy, like I was missing parts of the story. That's the main reason I don't really care for novels in verse. I always feel like there's some part of the story that I'm missing. I didn't really hold it against it because it may be just me and how I feel about novels in verse.
As for the plot, I really enjoyed this one. Although I didn't get the gut punch emotions that I should've gotten from a story like this, I still thought it was an interesting story to tell. And it was not at all like I expected it to go. But, that's what I loved most about it.
I also really loved the diverse cast of characters. There were all different ethnicities and even some poverty rep as well. I loved that this book was able to capture the true meaning of diversity in high school. There was some of everyone in this book and it was glorious. I don't remember the last time I read something that had captured everyone.
This wasn't something I was expecting to love so much, so it almost flew under my radar. I'm glad I gave it a chance and didn't look over it because it wasn't something I "usually" read. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone is scary. In this case, Juleah's debut was well worth it

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

This book was very hard for me to rate. I don't normally like books written in verse, but I liked this one. I think it had a good flow and it made the words more impactful. I think that this book had a powerful look at racism and how it affects everyone, those white and those not. The underlying theme and privilege and where it can take you was another powerful message.
However, the main character fell very flat for me. There was no resolution to her story. I have no idea who she was as a person or what she saw in Ben. Granted, she didn't know who she was as a person either so I wasn't shocked that I didn't know. Ben and Nic confused me. I wasn't ever clear on why they were together or why she was pinning after him to come back to her. There seemed to be no substance to their relationship. I didn't know what made it tick or how it kept ticking that long.
The plot twist at the end seemed dramatic and not like it fit the story. I wanted more from all of the side characters as I hardly knew them. But neither did Nic, and we were seeing the story through her eyes.
Overall, this book had powerful messages but left me feeling empty. There was no substance, no meat. But then again, there was no substance to Nic either.
*Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy*